Progressive Grocer Names ShopRite 2011 Retailer of the Year

Progressive Grocer, the leading voice of the supermarket industry for 90 years, has named ShopRite its Retailer of the Year for 2011.

The 47 members of Wakefern Food Corp., -- the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative -- own and operate more than 230 supermarkets under the ShopRite banner throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, serving more than 5 million customers each week.

In addition to honoring ShopRite with its highest annual award -- the benchmark by which the industry’s most successful food retailers are measured -- PG’s Retailer of the Year cover story will feature a special tribute to Dean Janeway, president and COO of, Wakefern Food Corp., who will retire at the end of this year after more than four decades with the regional supermarket powerhouse.

“ShopRite continues to raise the bar in one of the most fiercely competitive geographic marketing territories in the country,” said Meg Major, Progressive Grocer’s editor-in-chief. “Its robust growth in the face of aggressive competition, and its extraordinary industry success and local community leadership, enable the regional chain to truly stand apart in the highly competitive food industry, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognize the outstanding owner/operators, corporate leaders and the many outstanding employees that play an integral role in the co-op’s success.”

Aside from its overall industry leadership and remarkable business evolution, ShopRite’s longstanding commitment to the communities it serves and unswerving support of local education and anti-hunger initiatives, through programs such as ShopRite Partners In Caring, “underscore its core business philosophy of ‘families serving families,’” noted Major.

PG’s Retailer of the Year profile will also discuss ShopRite’s achievements in social responsibility, sustainability and expanding its geographic footprint, in addition to showcasing its diverse chain of innovative, functional, high-volume stores, which have engendered strong shopper loyalty for their outstanding selection, service and low prices.

Retailer of the Year was developed more than 15 years ago as a way to recognize overall excellence among U.S. food retailers. PG’s Retailer of the Year coverage of ShopRite will appear in the magazine’s October 2011 issue.